Machine for knitting fabric with rubber inlay



July 20, 1937. A H. N. SHEPPARD 87,

, MACHINE FOR KNITTING FABRIC WITH RUBBER INLAY I I 'Fil ed Dec. .11, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 *1 m RNVENTOR Q Q HARRY N. SHEPPARD Q I BY HIS ATTORNEYS July 20, 1937-. H. N. SHEPPAI RD 2,037,820

- MACHINE FOR KNITTING FABRIC WITH RUBBER :NLAY

Filed Dec. 11, 1935 H 3 She ets-Sheet 2 \Q/EL 2 V p E) g INVENTOR Q Q HARRY N. SHEPPARD July 20, 1937. H. N. SHEPPARD 2,087,820 I MACHINE FOR KNITTING FABRIC WITH RUBBER INLAY Filed Dec. 11, 1935 v a Sheets-Sheet :5

* 7h T T HARRY KT SSEQBRD' BY H|S ATTORNEYS Painted i 2 1937 1 1,087,826

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE- Harry N. Sheppard, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, New York, N. Y a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 11, 1935, Serial No. 53,965 12 Claims. (Cl. 66-9) This invention relates to a knitted fabric havsupported from the latch guard ring 550. A ing arubber thread inlaid therein and to means" bevelled gear 9 fixed on the other end of the 'for supplying a rubber thread to knitting mashaft 9 meshes with a bevelled gear g fixed on chines and more particularly to positively driven a shaft 33 which extends through 'avertical bearmeans for drawing a rubber thread from a cone ing bracket 40 to mesh with a gear, not shown, 5 or'spooland it isan object to provide an immounted upon the main drive' shaft of the maproved fabric of the type described and an im-- chine so that the dial D is drivenin synchronism proved thread drawing means of such construc- -with theneedle cylinder. The bevelled gears are tion that the rubber thread may be drawn from protected'by a housing B secured to the bracket 10. the supply to be fed at a substantially uniform A. The bevelled gear g is rotatably supported rate for a number of courses and the feeding upon an extension ofthe bracket A and the shaft thenstopped and it is a further object of this d is reciprocated vertically with respect to theinvention to provide a positivelydriven thread gear g to vary the'ppsition of the dial by means drawing meansso arranged that the thread is not I of an arm or a plate 42 which engages a shoulder chafed or rubbed when it is not beingfedto the or projection at the top of the shaft d and exmachine. tends outwardly to be. engaged by'a push rod 44 In the drawings y l which is operated from a'pattern drum by suit- Fig. 1 is a'plan view of a Scott 8; Williams cirable means; 'Mounted in theupper end of the cular knitting machine equipped with a. rubber shaft d so'as to, form an extension thereof and be s thread drawing means in accordance with this driven therewith is a shaft portion 46 having an invention, parts being broken awayto show other end thereof reduced and screw threaded, as at parts more clearly and the rubber thread drawing 41, to engage in a correspondingly threaded openmeans being shown in operative position; ing in the end of 'the shaft d and forming with Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the head of the main portion of the shaft extension 46 a 95 the knitting machine shown in Fig. 1; shoulder which serves as a seat for a washer 43 Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the machine which is engaged by the armor plate 42 which shown in Figs. 1 and 2 looking from the leftin raises the shaft d and dial D. Fig. 2; Fixed on the shaft '12, as by a set screw 48, is a Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in verticalsection tapered roll 49 which, through its connection 0 taken through the drawing rolls; with theshaft d, is driven continuously while the g0 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the rubber thread machine is in operation. Cooperating with the= drawing rolls shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the rolls beingroll 49 is a rever'sely tapered roll 50 rotatably sup shown in inoperative relation; ported upon an upright bearing pin 52 mounted in Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a threaddrawing an arm of a bell-crank lever 54 which is pivotally means of modified construction; supported upon 'a. stud '56 projecting upwardly 5 Figs. '7 and 8 are views in elevation, taken at from the gear housing'B The lever 54 is so right angles to each other, of the rubber feeding positioned and shaped that movement of the means of Fig. 6; lever 54 on its pivot on the stud 56 moves the roll Fig. 9 is a planview of -a stocking top con 50 toward or away from the roll 49. Aspring 51 structed in accordance with this invention; and connected to a projection from the lever. 54 and 40 Fig. 10 is a'sectional view taken on line Ill-10 to a distant point of the housing. B tends to" of Fig. 9 and drawn to a larger'scale to show the hold the lever 54 in a position whichcauses the relative positions of the fabric loops and rubber rolls 50 and 49 to engage. To operate the lever thread in the stockingof Fig. 9. 54 to disengage the roll 50 from the roll 49 a In the drawings the invention is shown applied Bowden wire 58 is connected from the end of the 45 to a circular machine for knitting ribbed hosiery other arm of the lever 54 to an end of a lever 60,

having a welt such as is shown in-the patent to theiother end of which is pivotally mounted upon Scott No. 1,641,101, August 30, 1929. The maastud. 62 carried by a plate or bracket 64 supchine shown comprises a dial D, the needles of ported from the bed-plate B. The Bowden wire which cooperate with the .needles of the needle 581s inserted in a protective tube .18 which is 50 cylinder, not shown, in knitting the ribbed fabric. secured in a bracket 80 fixed on the plate 64 and The dial D is supported by a shaft :1 having a in abracket'BZ fixed on the gear housing B The slidable driving engagement with abevelled gear lever 60 is formed with a projecting cam 60 posig which meshes with abevelled gear g fixed on tioned to be engaged by a cam 66 upon a pattern an end of a shaft g journalled in a bracket A drum 68 which'is rotatably mounted upon a stud 55 I also mounted upon a plate 64. The pattern drum 68 is operated by means of a pawl 12 pivotal- 1y mounted upon a lever I4 which is pivoted upon the stud I0 beneath the pattern drum 68 and has 5 its free end connected by a link I6 to a suitable operating part of the machine5 so that by a reciprocation of the lever I4 pawl 12 is brought into engagement with ratchet teeth 11 von the lower portion of the pattern drum- 68 to shift the drum 68 in a counter-clockwise direction.

Fixed on the bearing pin 52 by a set screw 83 is a bracket 84 having arms extending outwardly and downwardly at opposite sides of the roll 50, the angle between the oppositely disposed 15 arms being less than 180 degrees. Adjacent the lower ends of he arms of thebracket 84 the arms are perfoihted providing guide openings for a rubber thread R which. rubber thread extends from a suitable source of supply throughon'e arm of the bracket 84, thence between the engaging faces of the rollers 50 and 49, through the other arm of the bracket 84 and downwardly from the bracket 84 to a guide tube 86 adjustably mounted in the arm 88. Mounting the guide bracket 84 for the rubber thread on the bearing pin 52 with the roll 50 causes the rubber thread to be moved with the roll 50 away from the positively driven roll 49 and the set screw 83 permits of adjusting the position of the guide bracket 84 with respect to the rolls 50 and 49 in order that the rate of feed of the rubber thread and the tension thereon in the finished garment may be adjusted.

The lever 88 which supports the rubber thread guide 86 is pivotally mounted, as at 90, on the latch guard ring 550. To anend of the lever 88 there is connected one end of a Bowden wire 92 by'means of a spring 94, the other. end of the Bowden wire being connected to the outer end of a lever 96 which is pivotally mounted on the stud 62 on the plate 6 l For its operation the lever 96 is provided ith a cam 96 which is engaged by a cam 98 on the pattern drum 68. The Bowden wire 92 also extends through a flexible cover 95, which is held by the bracket 80 on the plate 64 and by an arm of the bracket 82 on the gear housing B An adjustable screw 89 limits the downward movement of the lever 88 by engagement with the ring 550.

being fed there is provided a cutter and clamp mechanism 91-which may be of any usual or suitable construction, which cutter and clamp mechanism is mounted on an angle bracket 99 fixed to the latch guard ring 550. To operate the cutter and clamp mechanism-a lever I00, pivotally mounted on the bracket 99 as at I02, has an end thereof positionedto engage the upper end of the plunger I 03 of the cutterand clamp mechanism 91 and its opposite end connected to one end of a Bowden wire I04. The opposite end of the Bowden wire I04 is connected to the outer end of a lever I06, "the other end of which is pivotally mounted upon the stud 62 carried by the plate 64. For its operation the lever I06 is provided with a cam I06 which cooperates with a cam I08 on the pattern drum 68. As with the other Bowden wires the Bowden wire I04 is protected by a cover III) which is mountedin the bracket 80 on the plate 64 and on the bracket 99. The apparatus above described is arranged for introducing a rubber thread during the knitting of the welt and for continuingto supply it dur- 75 mg the knitting of'a portion of the ribbed top,

To cut therubber thread when it is withdrawn. from the fabric and to clamp it while it is not the timing of the machine being such that the pattern drum, 68 is operated to position the cams thereon 14.; release the lever 60 and engage the levers I06 and 96 so'that the roll 50 is drawn into engagement with the roll 49 by the spring 51 to draw the rubber thread from the cone and to feed it to the rubber thread guide 86; the lever 88 is operated against the action of the spring II2 to lower the rubber thread guide 86 to a position such as shown in Figure 3 in which the thread guide extends downwardly below the needles of the dial so as to deliver the rubber thread in back of the cylinder needlesand below the dial needles; and to operate the cutter and clamp mechanism against the action of springs I I4 and H5 to release the rubber thread as the feed of the rubber is started and the arm 88 is positioned to deliver the rubber thread. This operation takes place one or more courses before the com pletion of the welt and the rubber thread may be taken by one of the needles which is inactive during the knitting of the welt and which is raised to take the yarn as shown in the application of Page, Page and Sheppard, Serial No. 13,328,. filed March 27, 1935, or the rubber thread may be taken by an active needle. thread being placed behind the cylinder needles it is not knit in by the needles or engaged by theloops of the fabric of the welt and upon completion of the welt and the starting of rib knitting for the knitting of the stocking top the rubber thread is in position to be engaged between the loops of the plain and ribbed wales of the fabric and to be held in position thereby. Feeding of the rubber continues for a plurality of courses during the knitting of the ribbed top whereupon the pattern drum 68 is operated to release the levers 96, I06 and to engage the lever 60 so that the roll 50 will be withdrawn from the roll 49 ,against the action of the spring 51; the spring H2 will raise the lever 88 and the thread guide 86 withdrawing the rubber thread and placing it in position to be engaged and cut and clamped by the cutter and clamp mechanism 96 as the plunger I03 is operated by the spring H5 and the lever I08 is'returned by spring I I4.

' A stocking top as knit by this machine will have one or more turns. of the rubber thread R lying between the front andback walls of the welt W as shown in Figure 10 and will have the rubber R lying between the rib wales L and plain wales P of the rib fabric top T. "The rubber is continued as shown in Figures 9 and 10 for a plurality of courses of the ribbed fabric and gives a garter efiect owing to the tension under which the rubber is supplied during the knitting of the ribbed fabric portion of the top.

In the arrangement .as shown in Figures -1 to 5 the vertical adjustment of the dial for rib and plain knitting will make a slight change in the The rubber rate at which the yarn is fed owing to the movement of the roll 49 vertically with the'dial while the guide arm 84 remains fixed. This change in rate of feed is very slight and makes but an in' appreciable change in the tension at which the rubber is supplied. However, this change in the 2,087,820 dial and the roll 49 make no change in the rate at which the rubber thread is fed. l

The arms 8 are so positioned, as shownvin Figure 6; that upon movement of the roll 50 away from the roll 49 the elasticity of the rubber thread'will carry the. thread away'from the continuously rotating roll 49 and thus prevent rubbing or chafing of the thread by the roll 49 when the rubber thread is not being fed to the machine. The adjustment of the arms 84 permitted by the set screws 85 which secure these arms to the plate 42 permits of adjusting the rateat which the rubber thread is fed by the rolls.

What is claimed is: 1. In a thread feeding device for. knitting machines, thread drawing rolls and pattern controlled means controlling the relative positions of said rolls for starting and stopping the drawing of the thread by said rolls.

2. In a-thread feeding device for knitting machines, thread drawing rolls and pattern controlled means for relatively displacing said rolls for operatively engaging said rolls with a thread and for stopping operative engagement of said rolls with the thread.

3. In a thread feeding device for knitting machines, thread drawing rolls and pattern controlled means for shifting said rolls relatively to engage and disengage said rolls to start and stop the drawing of the thread.

4. In a thread feeding device for knitting machines,'a positively driven, roller, a secondroller movable toward and away from said first roller,

means guiding a thread in contact with said second roller and pattern controlled means governing the engaging and separatipnof said rollers to control the drawing of the thread.

5. In a thread feeding device for knitting machines, a positively driven roller, a second roller movable toward and away from said first roller, nzeans guiding a thread for driving engagement between said rollers and pattern controlled meansfor shifting said secondroller to and from said first roller to control the drawing of the thread.

6. In a knitting machine, a yarn guide, means for operating said yarn guide for presenting a thread, rolls for drawing thread for said guide and pattern controlled means for adjusting the relative positions of said rolls to start the drawing of the thread when said guide is operated to present the thread.

7. In a knitting machine, a yarn guide for presenting and withdrawing a thread, rolls for drawing thread for said guide and pattern con;

as said yarn-guide presents the thread and for stopping the drawing of the thread as the yarn guide withdraws the thread. a

8. In a knittingmachine, a yarn guidefor presenting and withdrawing a thread, rolls for drawing thread for said guide, a pattern drum, means controlled by said pattern drum, for adjusting the relative positions of said rolls to draw thread as said guide presents the thread and for stopping the drawing of the thread as said guide withdraws the thread and cutter and clamp means for the thread controlled by said pattern drum to release the thread as said guide presents the thread and to cut and clamp the thread as said guide withdraws the thread.

9. In a circular knitting machine having a dial and a shaft for driving saiddial arranged for movement vertically, a tapered thread drawing roll driven by said shaft and movable vertically with said dial and guide arms for maintaining the thread in a fixed position with respect 'to said thread feeding roll.

-10. In a circular knitting machine having a trolled means for adjusting the relative positions of said rolls to start the drawing of the thread dial and a shaft for driving said dial arranged for movement vertically, a tapered thread drawing roll driven by said shaft and movable vertically with said dial, guide arms for maintaining the thread in a fixed position with respect to said roll and means for varying the position of the thread with respect .to said roll.

11. In a circular knitting machine arranged to knit a turned welt of plain fabric and a rib fabric top, a yarn finger for feeding .a rubber thread, positively driven roll means for delivering the rubber thread to the yarn finger and pattern.

feeding rolls supplying the rubber thread to said yarn finger and pattern controlled means controlling the feeding action of said rolls and the movements of the yarn finger to start and stop the drawing of the thread by said rolls upon presentation and withdrawal of the thread by said yarn finger.

. HARRY N. SHEPPARD. 

